The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) has expressed concern over the use of aerial drones, whether for recreational or commercial purposes.

This follows reports that a drone user has purportedly flown one in the vicinity of the KL International Airport (KLIA) to take photos of airliners approaching its runways.

“These drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) have encroached into airports which may disrupt the safety of flight operations. Any intentions to fly drones or UAV in Malaysian airspace requisites approval from the DCA.

“The DCA wishes to inform that flying of unauthorized drones or UAV in the vicinity of airports is strictly prohibited and constitutes as an offence under the Civil Aviation Act 1969,” said DCA director-general Azharuddin Abdul Rahman in a statement today.

Separately, Astro Awani reported today that the DCA has lodged a police report over the aerial incursion.

Yesterday, the photographs of planes landing at KLIA, apparently taken by aerial drones, surfaced on Facebook, with netizens lashing out against the photographer for posing a danger to passing aircraft.

The images were uploaded to the photo sharing site Instagram at least three months ago by a user under the handle 'yengnasir' who apparently defended his actions when asked if this was dangerous.

"It's far away. The distance was calculated before flight using GPS," he wrote.

The Instagram account has since been deleted, but screenshots of the account were circulated on Facebook .

Concern

One screenshot purportedly shows yengnasir posing with the packaging for a DJI Phantom 2 quadcopter drone - a remotely flown aircraft weighing little over a kilogramme, has four rotors pointing upwards, and a camera mounted underneath.

Other screenshots depicts an AirAsia aircraft and Saudi Arabian Airlines approaching a runway. Both images have captions containing hashtags that suggest that the images were taken at KLIA using the same drone.

"Dear friends, am sure you know 'drones' are getting so popular nowadays, and it's so easily available from cheap to expensive, from specialised shop to malls and even some camera shops.

"But please, there are what you can do and what you should not do with these flying machines. Like the guy below, he (is) deliberately flying close to get a shot of planes landing at KLIA!” wrote Facebook user Edward Chew on the social media site yesterday, while sharing the screenshots.

As of 1am this morning, the Facebook post has been shared over 600 times.

Since news broke, several drone enthusiasts have contacted Malaysiakini expressing concern about a regulatory backlash from the DCA as a result of the incursion, but have declined to be named.

Rules in place

Under the Department of Civil Aviation’s (DCA) regulations, drones with a maximum takeoff weight below 20 kilograms such as the Phantom 2 are exempt from stringent requirements such as registration, a valid pilot's licence and airworthiness inspections.

However, it is also forbidden to fly in controlled airspace or within 1.5 nautical miles (2.8 kilometres) of an airport's boundaries without approval from air traffic controllers.

The same 2008 regulations also prohibit small drones from flying above 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level, and from performing "aerial work", including photography, observation, and surveying, among others.

Regulating the use of drones for civilian purposes is a subject of heated debate in the US, as lobbyists push for relaxed laws that would enable aerial photography and surveys at relatively low cost, while authorities seek ways to ensure its safety.

On Sunday, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had tabled its proposed regulations on small drones for public feedback, in paving the way for what it believes would be a billion-dollar industry.

Among others, the proposed rules require drone operators to regularly sit for FAA’s written examinations, and that the drones must remain within its operator’s line-of-sight, as well as various speed and airspace limitations.